Russian icon "Praise of the Prophets", mid-19th century, 17.5x15 in
Russian icon 'Praise of the Prophets', mid-19th century, 17.5x15 in.
The icon of the Praise of the Mother of God depicts the Virgin surrounded by the prophets of the Old Testament, each presenting on a scroll the content of his prophecy. This iconographic type, already attested on Mount Sinai in the 12th century, expresses an ancient tradition linking the biblical prophecies to the mystery of the Incarnation.
At the centre, the Virgin is shown enthroned within a mandorla, while above her appears t...
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Russian icon 'Praise of the Prophets', mid-19th century, 17.5x15 in.
The icon of the Praise of the Mother of God depicts the Virgin surrounded by the prophets of the Old Testament, each presenting on a scroll the content of his prophecy. This iconographic type, already attested on Mount Sinai in the 12th century, expresses an ancient tradition linking the biblical prophecies to the mystery of the Incarnation.
At the centre, the Virgin is shown enthroned within a mandorla, while above her appears the blessing Emmanuel, creating a vertical axis that unites heaven and earth. Around her the prophets — among them Moses, Isaiah, David, Solomon and Daniel — hold the symbols of their visions, such as the ladder, the burning bush, the ark or the gate, all symbolic references to the Mother of God.
This complex theological representation proclaims the fulfilment of divine promises: what the prophets announced finds its full realisation in the Virgin, making the icon a visual synthesis of the history of salvation and an invitation to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation.
Executed according to tradition in egg tempera on a panel prepared with levkas, an ancient technique that gives depth and uniqueness to each icon.
Provenance: Central Russia.
Technique: Egg tempera.
Materials: wood, levkas.
Measurements: 17.5x14.6 in.
Period: mid-19th century.